An example of expressing one's convictions in the face of opposition...

This week, we are looking at an event from history from a letter in the Old Testament of the Bible, called the book of Daniel to answer the question "How should we live out our convictions as followers of Jesus in the face of a culture that may not believe, buy, or share those convictions?" In Daniel 1:1-7 Daniel explained, that upon being besieged by the Babylonian Empire, King Nebuchadnezzar removed King Jehoiakim from power and replaced him with a puppet king named Jehoiachin. 

Daniel then revealed the strategy that the Babylonian Empire used to control the nations that they conquered as they expanded their Empire. Upon conquering a nation, the Babylonian Empire would identify the best and the brightest young people within that nation.  Upon identifying the best and brightest, the young people would be taken as hostages back to Babylon.

 Once in Babylon, the best and brightest would undergo a three-year process of reeducation and indoctrination of the language, culture, and religious practices of the Babylonian Empire. The goal for Daniel and the others who were taken was that they were to be immersed and enculturated in the culture of the Babylonian Empire. As part of that process, Daniel explained that he and the others who were taken hostage were given new names and a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank.

In other words, the best and the brightest were given the best food. In addition, the best and the brightest were to receive the best education possible.  This was an effort at total indoctrination, with the goal of making these young Jewish men leave behind their God and culture so that at the end of the process they would be able to leverage their gifts and talents to advance the Babylonian Empire.

King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to communicate to these young men, “leave your past behind and live a life that leverages everything you have for me and my Empire. Stop looking where you used to look and instead look to me for everything.”  Daniel then reveals how they responded to the king’s attempts at reeducation and indoctrination in Daniel 1:8-10:

 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. ⁹ Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, ¹⁰ and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."

Daniel tells us that he made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank. When Daniel uses the phrase made up his mind, this phrase, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to set upon his heart. In other words, from the core of his being, Daniel had a conviction that he would not defile himself. But what does that mean? The word defile means to make one impure before God.

 Now a natural question that could arise here is “Well how would eating the king’s choice food or drinking the king’s wine make him impure before God?” If that question is running through your mind, I just want to let you know that you are asking a great question. There are three reasons why Daniel believed that participating in the culture by eating and drink the king’s choice food and drink would make him impure before God.

First, at this time in history, the Jewish people lived under a set of guidelines from God when it came to which food they were to eat and which food they were not to eat. Even today Jewish people who still follow the Jewish religious system refer to food what is kosher, which they can eat, and food which is not kosher, which they cannot eat. Thus, the king’s choice food and drink undoubtedly went against what God commanded the Jewish people to eat. In other words, it was not kosher.

Second, the king's choice food and drink was probably sacrificed to idols, as in cultures that worshipped a multitude of gods instead of the one true God, it was common practice that most wine and meat was dedicated to the gods. Third, and most importantly, eating the king’s food implied a total embracing of the Babylonian cultural system. In the culture of the day, to share a meal was to commit one’s self to friendship; it was a sign of a covenant commitment.

But did you notice what Daniel did not oppose? Did you notice what Daniel did not have a conviction about? Did you notice that Daniel did not object to the name that he was given by the culture? Did you notice that Daniel did not protest, yell, or scream about his new name? Did you notice that Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education that he was receiving? Did you notice that Daniel did not protest, yell, or scream about what he was being taught?

You see, Daniel did not object to the name given to him, because he knew who he was.  Daniel did not object to the name given to him; others could call him what they wanted to. And Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education, because he knew what he believed. Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education, because he knew how to distinguish truth from error. Daniel did not object to the Babylonian education, because he knew that all truth is God’s truth, regardless of who teaches the truth.

Daniel had the critical thinking skills to distinguish truth from error and was not afraid to be exposed to differing points of view, because he would be able to understand false points of view and bring the weight of truth to that which was in error. However, Daniel did object to the food from the king’s table because eating it was direct disobedience to God’s word.

You see, Daniel had developed convictions that were based solely on the truth of God and the commands of God. Daniel recognized that there were beliefs that may or may not change as a result of being exposed to truths that they were not exposed to before. And Daniel recognized and developed convictions that were based on truth that would drive his behavior in a way that was obedient and uncompromising to those truth.

In addition, did you notice how Daniel opposed what he opposed? Did you notice how Daniel objected those things that violated his convictions? “He sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.” In other words, he made a polite request, showing discretion and wise discernment.

Daniel did not picket or boycott. Daniel did not scream in protest. Daniel respectfully requested to not violate his convictions by eating from the king’s table. And as a result of his convictions, and the posture by which he expressed his convictions, in verse 9 we see that God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. What is so interesting is that the word favor here refers to God’s faithful devotion. In addition, the word compassion is the same word that is translated grace in our English Bibles.

Instead of immediately punishing Daniel and his friends, the commander of the officials expressed his concern that the exercise of their convictions would result in a negative result in his life, namely losing his life. The commander of the officials, who did not understand Daniel’s convictions, was legitimately concerned that Daniels convictions would bring negative consequences on his life. We see how Daniel responded to the officials concerns in verse 11-14:

 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see." ¹⁴ So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

Now did you notice Daniel’s response? Did you notice that Daniel did not object to the overseer’s concerns? Did you notice that Daniel did not protest, yell, or scream about the commander of the officials concerns? Instead of objecting, protesting, yelling, or screaming about the overseer’s concerns, Daniel saw the situation through the overseer’ eyes and addressed his legitimate concerns.

You see, Daniel wouldn’t let the overseer pay the price for his convictions. Instead, Daniel was willing to put himself and his convictions, based on his faith in God, to the test. In addition, did you notice Daniels approach? Did you notice that there is something so reasonable about Daniel’s approach? I mean Daniel could have gone on a hunger strike or made some other kind of protest.

Instead he made a polite request, he made it to the right person and said, “Put us to the test.” And that test was to go on a vegetarian diet. Daniel and his friends chose a vegetarian diet because it would be available and accessible to the overseer in a way that would not violate his convictions, as the meat at the king’s table was not prepared in a kosher manner and was sacrificed to idols.

As a result of Daniel’s response and approach, the overseer granted their request to be tested for ten days. Friday, we will see what happened at the end of the ten days...